Blaze

Work is Work

~_____~

Anyang was half an hour's drive from Seoul. They'd taken Namjoo's car upon her suggestion. Namjoo could almost die at the thought of having to sit in his car in the passenger's seat. This time she wanted to take charge, be in charge. However, this ride didn't seem as plentiful as yesterday's. She could feel his eyes glancing at her out of the corner of those lids. It irked her immediately even after she pretended she didn't notice, but then why should she play hooky?

"What?" Namjoo questioned. "I don't like people who stare. If you've got something to say, say it."

Kris placed his elbow against the window and slightly bit on his knuckle. "Did you go somewhere after work yesterday?"

A baffled confusion surged through her and Namjoo's reaction was to half laugh, half snort. "What!?"

Kris slightly tilted his head, "I saw you at the park yesterday, if that was you."

She let out a surprised breath, "I guess you're very interested in my life."

"It was coincidence." He corrected. "Was that your boyfriend you were with?"

A frown crossed her face. "Boyfriend?"

From what she knew, she and Kyungsoo had been next door neighbors since the age of 10 and had gone to school together since the meager age of 10. If he was her boyfriend, she didn't know. But she thought this was turning interesting.

"Yea," she answered. "My boyfriend. His name's Kyungsoo. He's a silly one."

She glanced at Kris through the corner of her eye. He seemed indifferent, but that didn't matter. If he thought Kyungsoo was her boyfriend, she'd let him think that. What was the use of correcting him anyway?

Namjoo found a spot to park her car right away and got out of the car. She wanted to split up right away so she could work on her own instead of together, but they naturally entered the market together. It was slightly busy, but not packed. Most of those she saw were old women, aunts and grandmas. She ran her eyes over the displays of delicious foods, fresh fruits, fishes, and samples of cooked food set out for passersby to taste.

"You young couple, do you want to try some fried squid?" a middle aged woman shouted out toward them from her shop.

Namjoo put up a hand to kindly decline as she walked by. A lot of chattering was going on around her, which made it impossible to try to eavesdrop. When she listened in on one conversation the chattering next door would interrupt her concentration. It was like an endless wave of voices going in and out of her ears. She'd forgotten old people loved to talk and gossip.

When she stepped back from the food stand she saw Kris purchasing some kimbap from an elderly. She shot him a stare when he turned to start walking away.

"Why? Want some?" he asked.

Namjoo turned to walk away. They walked out of the tented shops and headed for the open shops outside. The bright sunlight almost blinded Namjoo when she stepped out and had to turn away to shield her eyes from the burn. It was even more packed outside considering that it was only morning, but she assumed housewives liked shopping in the morning rather than in the late afternoon with their whining children.

Kris was already walking ahead when she turned. He wasn't going to wait for her, she realized. Well, that was good too. She liked it that way. Namjoo quietly followed far from behind and took caution to look around at the faces around her. Men and women of all ages were out and about. She guessed the open air offered them more relaxation than the stuffy air inside. Another step forward and someone nudged her in the shoulder hard as he passed by.